Air-gas metering and recirculating apparatus

ABSTRACT

A combination air purifier and air supply metering apparatus adapted to be used with a diver&#39;&#39;s helmet and including an air blower in an air recirculation circuit containing a mass of soda lime through which used air is drawn. An air replenishing connection from an external source includes a nominal-pressure regulating valve and a depth-responsive flow-regulating valve to automatically compensate for different depths at which a diver may be working, whereby to maintain adequate air replenishment regardless of depth. The flow-regulating valve is operated by a Bourdon tube which changes its configuration in response to variations in back pressure in a replenishment chamber exposed to the air-recirculating circuit.

0 United States Patent 1 1 3,620,213

' [72] lnventor HilbertJ. Sav0ie,Jr. 3,292,617 12/1966 McDonough 128/202 X PO. Box 98, Boutte, La. 70039 1343.536 9/1967 Brisson et a1. l28/142.5 APP 8 374 FOREIGN PATENTS [22] Filed Sept. 12, 1969 3 I 3 9 I9 Patented Nov-16,1971 3 .36 1/1 21 Germany 128/ l R Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. B. Mitchell [54] AIR-GAS METERING AND RECIRCULATING At|0mey- Berman Davidson and Herman APPARATUS 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

137/82 ABSTRACT: A combination air purifier and air supply meter- [51 Int. Cl A62b 7/12, ing apparatus adapted to be used with a helmet and F 15b 5/00 cluding an air blower in an air recirculation circuit containing [50] Field of Search 128/142, a mass f soda lime through which used air is drawn An air 145.5, 145.6, 145.7, 145.8. 147. 142.2l42.4, replenishing connection from an external source includes a 191, nominahpressure regulating valve and a depth-resp0nsive 146-54467 203; 137/8| 82i 98/1-5 flow-regulating valve to automatically compensate for different depths at which a diver may. be working. whereby to [56] References cued maintain adequate air replenishment regardless of depth The UNITED STATES PATENTS flow-regulating valve is operated by a Bourdon tube which 2,269,500 1/1942 Wildhack 128/142X changes its configuration in response to variations in back 2,378,047 6/1945 Strange 128/142 X pressure in a replenishment chamber exposed to the air-recir- 3,200,816 8/1965 Bartlett, Jr 128/142.2 culating circuit.

SODA

LIME

AIR-GAS METERING AND RECIRCULATING APPARATUS This invention relates to air-circulating means, and more particularly to a combination air purifier, circulation pump and air replenishment means for use in conjunction with a divers helmet.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination used air purifier and recirculator and air replenishment means for use by a diver, or other individual requiring an external supply of air for breathing, the apparatus being simple in construction, being relatively compact in size, and providing economical utilization of the air from the external source of supply by reducing waste heretofore caused by carbon dioxide contamination.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved combination used air purifier and recirculator for divers equipment, the recirculator involving relatively inexpensive components, being reliable in operation, providing economical utilization of the supply fluid, being light in weight, and being automatically adjustable to compensate for variations in depth or variations in corresponding working conditions in which the apparatus is used.

A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide an improved combination air purifier and recirculating apparatus which includes an integral circulating blower and which also includes a mass of used air-purifying material for decontaminating the used air by removing carbon dioxide therefrom, the apparatus being further provided with means for replenishing the air required for the system from an external source of supply, the apparatus operating with high efficiency to conserve the air furnished thereto from the external supply source and being provided with automatic compensation for changes in depth at which the diver using the apparatus may be working, whereby to maintain adequate air replenishment regardless of depth.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view diagrammatically showing an improved combination air or gas-purifying device according to the present invention operatively mounted on a diver.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing the combination air purifier and recirculating apparatus substantially in top plan view.

FIG. 3 is a somewhat enlarged bottom view of the apparatus taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 4 and showing the detailed construction of the depth-responsive flow-regulating valve employed with the apparatus of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an improved air purifying and recirculating apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus 11 comprises a pair of parallel, rigidly connected cylindrical housings 12 and 13 which are secured together in relatively closely spaced, parallel relationship, for example, by an upper connecting plate 14 and by a bottom connecting conduit 15. The cylinders 12 and 13 are mounted on and rigidly connected to a horizontal generally rectangular bottom housing 16. Thus, the bottom wall 17 of cylindrical housing 12 is connected to the top wall 18 of housing 16 by a bracket 19, and the bottom end of the other cylindrical housing 13 is communicative connected to the interior of the housing 16 by a conduit 20, which also serves as a rigid connecting means of the bottom wall 21 of cylindrical housing 13 to the top wall 18 of the rectangular bottom housing 16.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom housing 16 is provided with a removable cover 22 forming the left end wall thereof, as view in FIG. 4, and a sealing gasket 23 is provided between cover 22 and the rim of housing 16 to provide a fluidtight seal. The cover 22 is provided with a suitable retaining latch bar 24 having a locking arm 25 which may be detachably fastened in any suitable manner to the bottom wall 26 of housing 16, the opposite arm of the latch bar being flexibly or pivotally secured to top wall 18 so as to allow the latch bar 24, at times, to be disengaged sufficiently from housing 16 to permit removal of cover 22, whereby access may be obtained to the interior of housing 16.

The cylindrical housings l2 and 13 are provided with removable top covers 27 and 28 having flanged skirts 29 and 30 which are removably secured to the top flanged rim portions of the housings l2 and 13 by respective circumferentially engaged channel-shaped clamping collars 31 and 32.

The cylindrical housing 12 contains a cartridge of air-purifying material, such as soda lime, or the like, designated at 33, disposed between respective top and bottom foraminous screens 34 and 35. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom screen 35 is secured in the housing 12 at a location just above the connection of housing 12 to conduit 15.

The cover 28 of housing 13 is provided with an annular bottom wall 36. An axial conduit 37 extends through cover 28 and disc 36 and is integrally joined to a depending downwardly flaring hollow-walled housing 38 having a centrally apertured bottom wall 39, the depending housing 38 having mounted therein a blower unit 40 driven by an electric motor 41. The electric motor 41 may be energized from a suitable battery 42 secured in the left-end portion of housing 16.

Conduit 37 is connected by a flexible conduit 43 to the divers helmet 44, for supplying purified air thereto, the helmet 44 being provided with a return conduit 45 which is connected to the upstanding central conduit portion 46 provided on the cover 27 of housing 12. Thus, the fluid from helmet 44 is returned via conduit 45 to the housing 12, where it is passed through the purifying material 33 and circulates through conduit l5 and housing 13 upwardly through housing 38, being thence delivered via conduit 37 and conduit 43 to the helmet 44, the fluid being circulated by the action of the electrically driven blower 40.

A T-fitting 46 is connected to the right-end wall 47 of housing 16 and its stem portion is connected through a conventional pressure-regulating valve unit 48 to a conduit 49. An air-supply line 50, shown in dotted view in FIG. 1, is adapted to be connected to the bottom leg 51 of T-fitting 46. The bottom wall 26 of housing 16 is likewise provided with a waterproof receptacle 52 to which the connection plug 53 associated with an electrical supply cable 54 is adapted to be connected, for furnishing electric current for operating the motor 41, if so desired. A suitable selector switch 55 is mounted on the bottom wall 26 of housing 16, said switch being readily accessible by the diver for selecting either battery or external current supply for the blower motor.

A bypass conduit 56 connects the top leg 57 of fitting 46 to the helmet 44 through a manually controlled bypass valve 58 provided at the helmet.

Conduit 49 is communicatively connected to the interior of housing 16 through a depth-compensating, flow-regulating valve assembly 59. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the flow-regulatingvalve assembly 59 comprises a main supporting body 60 having a tapered top end 61 and a laterally extending arm 62 terminating in a vertical, cylindrical chamber 63 whose bottom end is connected to the conduit 49. The chamber 63 has a centrally apertured top wall 64, the central aperture being shown at 65. Pivoted to the top edge of the generally triangular top portion 61 of body 60 is a spring arm 66 having a reversely bent end portion 67. Secured to the arm 66 is a depending downwardly flaring valve rod 68 which extends through the aperture and which may move vertically therein, thereby varying the effective discharge orifice of top wall 64. The reversely bent arm 67 is secured to the end of a generally circularly curved, flat hollow Bourdon tube 69 whose opposite end 70 is rigidly secured in the upper portion of block 60, as shown in FIG. 5. The Bourbon tube 69 is filled with a suitable gas under pressure so that its degree of curvature will change in accordance with changes in the pressure of the fluid external to the tube. Thus, the degree of curvature of the tube 69 depends upon the pressure differential between the fluid under pressure contained in the tube and the external fluid. When the pressure of the external fluid increases, the pressure differential decreases and the tube 69 tends to contract, namely, tends to reduce its radius of curvature. Thus, with increasing external fluid pressure the end 71 of the tube, which is attached to arm 67, tends to move downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 5, causing the downwardly flaring valve element 68 to descend, thereby causing the effective discharge orifice in wall 64 to increase in area and to increase the rate of supply of fluid into the chamber 16.

Since the replenishment chamber 16 is exposed through the conduit to the pressure of the circulating fluid passing into housing 13 from conduit 15, the fluid pressure in the chamber 16 responds to increases in pressure of the circulating fluid caused by increasing depth at which the diver is working, since the helmet 44 is exposed to the water pressure conditions under which the diver is working. Thus, changes in water pressure conditions due to change in working depths are trans mitted to the circulating fluid passing into housing 13, and the increase of pressure of this fluid is transmitted to the interior of the replenishment chamber 16, thus afi'ecting the curvature of the Bourdon tube 69. As above-mentioned, the changes in pressure change the configuration of the tube 69 in a manner to increase the replenishment orifice defined between valve element 68 and aperture 65 when the divers working depth increases, thereby to supply more replenishment air to the diver under these conditions and whereby to compensate for such increased working depth. The air line 50 furnishes replenishment air from the surface through the pressure-regulating valve 48, which is set to provide a nominal fluid pressure in the conduit 49. However. the flow rate is automatically varied by the action of the depth-responsive valve assembly 59 to maintain an optimum working pressure in the helmet 44.

The apparatus 1 l is secured to a suitable harness 75 which may be worn by the diver. in the manner illustrated in FIG. I. Thus, the apparatus is secured to the harness 75 at its upper portion by a bolt 76 extending through the bar 14 and fastened in the upper portion of harness 75, and the apparatus is fastened at its lower portion to the harness belt 77 by a bracket 78 secured to bottom wall 26 of the housing 16 at one end, and fastened in any suitable manner to the harness belt 77 at its other end.

In operation, air is recirculated from the helmet 44 through the purifying material 33 by action of the motor-driven blower 40, in the manner above-described. The air is replenished from the supply line 50 through the pressure-regulating valve 48, the conduit 49 and the flow-regulating valve 59, as abovedescribed, with compensation for depth provided by the action of the flow-regulating valve 59. Thus, valve 59 operates to vary the effective area ofits orifice 65 so as to maintain the effective fluid pressure in the recirculation portion of the apparatus at an optimum value, said optimum value increasing with depth in accordance with the hydrostatic pressure exerted at the interface between the liquid and the circulating air. The conventional pressure-regulating valve 48 does not respond to the effects of changes in depth, but merely provides a predetermined nominal fluid pressure in the conduit 49.

The amount of air furnished to the helmet can be increased, if the diver so desires, by adjusting the manually operated valve 58 connecting the upper leg 57 of the T-fitting 46 to the helmet and being employed as a bypass conduit with respect to the air purifying, recirculating and replenishment assembly ll.

As previously mentioned. the diver may employ either the battery 42 or an external electric current supply source for operating the blower motor 4] The selection of the source of energization of motor 41 IS determined by the operation ofthe selector switch 55.

While in the above description reference has been made to What is claimed is:

l. A diver's air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device comprising a diver's helmet, housing means containing air-purifying material, air-blower means communicatively connected to said housing means, conduit means for connecting said housing means and air-blower means in a fluid circuit with said diver's helmet, air-replenishment conduit means connected to said fluid circuit, and water depth-responsive flow-regulating variable orifice means in said air-replenishment conduit means increasing air replenishment orifice flow area with increasing water depth. wherein said depth-responsive variable orifice means comprises a chamber connected to said replenishment conduit means, said chamber having a wall provided with an aperture opening into said fluid circuit, a plug element of variable cross section movably mounted in and extending axially through said aperture, and depthresponsive driving means connectedto said plug element, said driving means comprising a sealed body containing fluid under pressure and being provided with a relatively flexible movable end portion connected to said plug element.

2. The diver's air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 1 and wherein said body comprises an elongated flexible tube of generally arcuate shape having one end fixed relative to said chamber and its other end drivingly connected to said plug element by said flexible portion.

3. The divers air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 2, and wherein said replenishment device comprises a first housing containing the air-purifying material, and a second housing containing the blower means and in side-by-side relation to the first housing and communicatively connected thereto.

4. The diver's air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device ofclaim 3, and a further housing communicatively connected to said second housing, said air-replenishment conduit means being communicatively connected to said further housing.

5. The diver's air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 4, and wherein said depth-responsive variable orifice means is mounted in said further housing with said aperture opening into said further housing.

6. The diver 3 air purifying. recirculating and replenishment device of claim 5, and a pressure-regulating valve connected in said air-replenishment means upstream from said depth-responsive variable orifice means.

7. The diver's air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device ofclaim 6, and wherein said pressure regulating valve is mounted in said further housing.

8. The diver's air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device ofclaim'7, and wherein said chamber is provided with a laterally extending arm having a block element fixedly secured thereto at its end remote from said chamber, a lever pivoted to an end of said block element and wherein said flexible end portion comprises a resilient U-shaped free end portion on said lever. and means connecting the plug element to one side of the resilient end portion of said lever. said outer end of the sealed elongated arcuate flexible tube being connected to the opposite side ofsaid resilient end portion ofthe ICYCI' 

2. The diver''s air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 1 and wherein said body comprises an elongated flexible tube of generally arcuate shape having one end fixed relative to said chamber and its other end drivingly connected to said plug element by said flexible portion.
 3. The diver''s air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 2, and wherein said replenishment device comprises a first housing containing the air-purifying material, and a second housing containing the blower means and in side-by-side relation to the first housing and communicatively connected thereto.
 4. The diver''s air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 3, and a further housing communicatively connected to said second housing, said air-replenishment conduit means being communicatively connected to said further housing.
 5. The diver''s air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 4, and wherein said depth-responsive variable orifice means is mounted in said further housing with said aperture opening into said further housing.
 6. The diver3 air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 5, and a pressure-regulating valve connected in said air-replenishment means upstream from said depth-responsive variable orifice means.
 7. The diver''s air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 6, and wherein said pressure regulating valve is mounted in said further housing.
 8. The diver''s air purifying, recirculating and replenishment device of claim 7, and wherein said chamber is provided with a laterally extending arm having a block element fixedly secured thereto at its end remote from said chamber, a lever pivoted to an end of said block element and wherein said flexible end portion comprises a resilient U-shaped free end portion on said lever, and means connecting the plug element to one side of the resilient end portion of said lever, said outer end of the sealed elongated arcuate flexible tube being connected to the opposite side of said resilient end portion of the lever. 